Posted by Natalie Joan on Monday, August 31, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
Guest post by Lorraine Russo
Have you ever had this happen? After you've written something, you go back and look at it, say, a week or so later, and wince over the "obvious" errors you made: typos, grammatical errors, and so on.The same thing may be true for your resume.
While I have no doubt you've put a lot of thought and effort into its preparation, it’s always worth a second or third look, especially if you or an objective outsider have not critically examined it in a while--or a... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Friday, August 28, 2009,
In :
Book Review
I've been intending to include book reviews in this blog since the beginning, but so far resumé writing and completing my Masters Degree have been taking up more time than I ever imagined. I did sit myself down last weekend with a few new resumé and job search books, and over the next week or two I will provide my comments for your reading pleasure.
The Only Resume and Cover Letter Book You'll Ever Need, by Richard Wallace. It contains 600 sample resumés and 600 cover letters "for every ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Friday, August 14, 2009,
In :
Cover Letter
I've seen this debated quite a lot recently in online forums. The simple answer, in my opinion, is simply YES.
First of all, a cover letter is a much more personal document than a resumé. It not only shows off your writing style, but it is a chance for you to mention details or anecdotes that simply don't fit within a formal résumé structure. Don't lose this opportunity to further sell yourself to an employer by leaving the cover letter off.
The cover letter is also your chance to demon... Continue reading ...
Consumerist.com (the same people who made the news reporting on Facebook's new Terms of Service a few weeks ago) have written a scathing review of the free resumé critique available from the CareerBuilder website.
Not only did Career Builder provide the same generic advice to several different, fake resumés , but they also used the email addresses provided to spam the users with unsolicited email.
The moral: sometimes you get what you pay for. Read the fill article here.
Now, I know wha... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Sunday, February 15, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
So, when are you too old to include your high school
accomplishments on a resumé? This is a question I have been asked many times, but as I
just finished a resumé workshop with a group of 17-21 year olds, it is back in
my mind. No, there was no one in my group who was too old to have high school
listed, but what got me was the amount of other experience a 20 year old can
have, whereas I still see resumés from people 30 or more years old listing high
school credentials.
One of my first ed... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Thursday, January 22, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
Glenn Kelmen, President and CEO of RedFin, blogs about what he likes, and dislikes, in a resumé.
I was a little scared to read this, in case I discovered I was doing things wrong. Turns out, I am being generous with my "2 pages max" rule of thumb. He only gives the under 30 set one page.
Any resumé readers out there? What do you look for?
Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Wednesday, January 21, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
This is a question I hear over and over. I’m not sure if
there’s a right answer. Google “resumé objective” and you will see a range of
opinions from various professionals telling you either that it is absolutely
essential, or that it is passé and should not be included.
As someone who had evaluated hundreds
of resumés, I have only ever seen a handful of resumé objectives that
provided any useful information.
Don’t use an objective to say you are “looking for
meaningful emp... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Monday, January 19, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
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Aside from spelling and grammar errors, the most common and annoying mistake people make in preparing a resumé has got to be length.
While it is understandable that you want to tell a potential employer any possible detail that might make them want to hire you, you also need to be realistic about how much an individual is willing to read.
I have received more than 100 resumés to fill short term, low paying jobs. Jobs with permanence and higher salaries attract even more interest. Fair or ... Continue reading ...
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About Me
I am a writer, editor and adult education professional living in Halifax NS. I write and edit resumés, and offer workshops on resumé writing, job hunting, and interviewing. This blog is a place for me to post my favourite resumé tips, answer common questions, and occasionally rant about my pet peeves.
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